WordPress.com



5 IMPERIALISM AND FIRST WORLD WARI IMPERIALISMPOLITICAL SYSTEMS AND INTERNATIONAL SITUATIONTwo different political systems could be distinguished between 1870 and 1914:PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS concentrated in Western Europe. Many of the countries recognized universal vote for men and suffragettes demanded vote for women which was only achieved in Finland and Norway. United States also had universal vote for men while Japan implemented a parliamentary system.AUTOCRATIC SYSTEMS prevailed in Central and Eastern Europe.The Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed by many nationalities and by 1867 it changed into a dual monarchy with two crowns with different institutions. Austria and Hungary had a common foreign policy and the emperor coordinating all the institutions.The Russian Empire abolished serfdom in 1861 but the Parliament or Duma did not have any power.The Ottoman Empire maintained the autocratic rule over many nationalities.The United Kingdom was the most industrialized country and the strongest financial power during the Victorian Era (1837-1901) when it was surpassed by Germany and USA. Once Germany was unified, became the second most important power during the reign of William II (1888-1914) while France maintained a privileged position among the Mediterranean countries. The Russian and the Austro-Hungarian Empires did not experience a fast-economic growth.Outside Europe new powers emerged:The United States, after the Civil War conquered the West and West cities so the country industrialized fast and became a leading industrial power. In Japan, the Meiji Revolution (1868-1912) replaced the feudal monarchy by a constitutional parliamentary system. This started a process of industrialization and westernization which allowed Japan to became the leading power in the Pacific.European international relations were based on:Bismarck Ian Alliance Systems (1871-1890) founded on different alliances and secret diplomacy implemented by Otto von Bismarck to isolate France due to their confrontations on Alsace and Lorrain and to prevent its alliance with Russia against Germany. Being in force for twenty years this system failed and a new concept arose; peace through strength.Peace through strength (1891-1914) peace prevailed but all countries considering war could start at any moment rearmed. Two alliance blocs were formed:Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.Triple Entente signed by France, Russia and Great Britain,IMPERIALISM AND ITS CAUSESFrom 1870, European colonial expansion was focused on Africa, Asia and the Pacific. This new concept of colonialism is known as imperialism. The difference between former colonialism and imperialism is that imperialism implied military, political and economic control of the dominated territories by the European ruling minority.The main causes of imperialism were:Political and strategic: colonies allowed the control of trade routes as well as strategic places in the world.Demographic: European countries sent the excess of population to the colonies to reduce unemployment and internal social tensions.Economic: The Second Industrial Revolution increased production and the need of more raw materials for industry as well as new markets for the increasing industrial production forced countries to look for new territories to dominate. On the other hand, colonies provided cheap labor force and places to invest capital.Ideological: certain ideologies developed the concept of superiority of the white race with the mission to civilize the rest of the world. (social Darwinism).FORMS OF COLONIAL RULEFrance and Great Britain were the major imperialist powers. Other European countries such as Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Russia joined them as well as United States and Japan.There were different forms of colonial rule:Concessions were commercial advantages (use of ports, lower taxation) given by independent countries to the imperialist powers. This was the case of China divided into areas of influence among the imperialist powers.Protectorates had local governments but the colonial power controlled foreign policy, the army and the exploitation of resources. India and Egypt were examples of protectorates.Colonies were territories directly controlled by the metropole. There were different cases:Position as they granted the control of strategic paces such as British Cape colony in South Africa.Settler colonialism was based on setting population from the metropole and were self-administrated. Examples of these were Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa controlled by the British.Exploitation colonialism when the colonies were administrated by the metropole which had exclusive right to exploit its resources. This was the case of Belgian colony of CongoTHE FORMATION OF COLONIAL EMPIRESThe scramble of Africa. Until the 19th century Europeans only controlled coastal point in Africa. From 1870, European countries explored the continent to create new empires. To avoid clashes, European countries met at the Berlin Conference in 1884 to organize the occupation of Africa. The possession of a coastal strip gave the right to control of the interior. Besides the free navigation of rivers Niger and Congo was recognized as well as free trade in Central Africa. After the Conference, Africa was completely occupied. United Kingdom wanted to control a vertical colonial strip from Cairo to Cape Town in South Africa while France a horizontal strip from Senegal to Somalia. Other European countries such as Italy, Portugal, Germany and Spain got small parts of the division of the continent,Imperialism in Asia, Oceania and America.In Asia, well stablished countries like China and Persia granted areas of influence and concessions. However, other territories were taken by United Kingdom (India, Burma), France (Indochina), Netherlands (Indonesia), Russia took Siberia, Japan conquered Manchuria and Korea and United States took Philippines from Spain.In Oceania, United Kingdom controlled Australia and USA occupied archipelagos like Hawaii.In America USA expanded its influence to Cuba and Puerto Rico as well as occupied the territory surrounding the Panama Canal.CONSEQUENCES OF IMPERIALISMColonialism was positive for the metropoles because colonies provided political power, raw materials, new markets, social peace and knowledge of new cultures. However, it intensified political and economic rivalries that would lead to World War I.On the other hand, for dominated countries it had a negative impact. Local governments were removed and controlled by foreign rulers. Economy was affected because all the sectors were in hands of the metropoles and development was on their own interest. Also, social inequalities appeared and were more accentuated.II THE FIRST WORLD WARCONTENDERSThe First World War started in Europe in 1914. The battle field covered a large extension of land so it was also named the Great War. Contenders were organized in two alliances:Central Powers included Germany, Austria – Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and later other countries like Bulgaria joined the alliance.Allies of Triple Entente was made up of France, Russia, United Kingdom and Serbia. In 1917 United States entered the war joining the Triple Entente.CAUSES OF THE CONFLICTLong term causes were based in the tensions existing in Europe before 1914 and we can group them into:POLITICAL CAUSES between European countries could be classified into:Territorial based French claims over Alsace and Lorrain taken by Germany after the battle of Sedan or the disputes between Austria and Italy about Istria and Trento.Nationalistic such the Austro – Hungarian and the Ottoman Empires fought in the Balkan Wars in 1912-1913.Colonial rivalries for the control of certain territories.ECONOMIC RIVALRIES arose due to commercial competition and they increased at the beginning of the 20th century. France and the United Kingdom felt threaten by the growth of German economy and its presence in colonial markets.MILITARY ALLIANCE SYSTEMS The formation of military alliances like the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance led to a new type of policy called peace through strength which was based in arms race; with this situation, any incident could cause a war.Short term or immediate cause of the conflict was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir of the Austro – Hungarian Empire in Sarajevo by a Serbian student who got support from Russia. This event started the system of alliancesTHE CONFLICT (1914-1918)1.- Characteristics of the warThe First World War was completely different from all previous conflicts. The main difference was the fact that it was fought in vast territorial extension and sixteen nations took part in the conflict. On the other hand, new guns were introduced such as the offensive guns (machine guns, flame throwers, toxic gases, mines, submarines and air planes) and new defense systems like the trenches. Other forms of combat like the psychological warfare were also implemented.The economy and the society changed quickly to adapt to the conflict. Economy was focused on war material production where as women became an active part in the workforce replacing men who were in the battle field. Besides, bombing effects on civilians as well as food rationing were common.2.- Phases and events.The war of movement (1914) the war started in the Eastern and the Western fronts at the same time. Germany wanted a flash victory over France to concentrate forces and resources in the Easter front to defeat Russia. France resisted at the Battle of the Marne while Russia advanced quickly over Prussia. At the end of 1914, The Ottoman Empire entered the war with the Central Powers.Trench Warfare (1915-1916) No decisive advance was made so fronts were stabilized in extensive lines called trenches protected by guns and wires. Offensives over Verdun and Somme were made with no clear result and war became global when Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Japan or Portugal entered in the war.War ends (1917-1919) The United States joined the War in 1917 once an American submarine was fired by the Germans. Russia, on the other side, withdrew after the success of the communist revolution in 1917 and signed the treaty of Brest -Litvak in 1918, The allies attacked all fronts and the Central Powers surrendered progressively. US president Woodrow Wilson realized the Fourteen Points to regulate world peace.THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE AND THE LEAGUE OF NATIONSThe winners and the defeated countries met at the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920) where different peace treaties were signed. The defeated countries had to reduce their armies, to pay war reparations and make territorial concessions which changed the map of Europe as the Central Empires disappeared.Germany lost in favor of France Alsace – Lorraine as well as all the colonies. Being blamed for the war and having to pay high war reparations, Germany was a nation eager for revenge.Because of the Paris Peace Conference, the League of Nations with headquarters in Geneva was founded in 1919 to promote peace and negotiation of international conflicts.THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WARMore than 9 million people were killed and many soldiers and civilians were injured and disabled because of the conflict. Economy was seriously affected not only for devastation but also for destroying infrastructures. Socially the gap between the working and the middle classes grew and only few people involved in war industries benefited from the war. Women began to work outside home so they became more active and independent.Ideologically new pacifist ideas appeared as well as an increasing desire for revenge in the defeated countries grew. Political changes included the disappearance of the Central Powers, the implementation of universal male suffrage and progressive feminine vote, European supremacy was replaced by USA leadership will continue.III ART AND CULTUREEDUCATION AND SCIENCEFrom 1870 to 1914 compulsory education was extended in many European countries. Science developed new law based on experimentation which resulted into new inventions such as the X-Rats by Roentgen, radioactivity by the Curies, inheritance laws by Mendel or vaccines for rabies and tuberculosis.MODERN ARCHITECTURE1.- New Materials Modern architecture was a result of the Second Industrial Revolution when new buildings needed to be constructed quickly at a low cost. That is why new materials were developed and introduced: iron, steel, glass and concrete. First these materials were used in greenhouses, railway stations, bridges and factories as they were rejected in traditional buildings. However, soon these materials will be spread in America and Europe. 2.- Architecture in the United States. Skyscrapers. The Chicago School in USA practice the new architecture when a fire burnt great part of the city in 1874 and reconstruction needed to be faster. Also, high buildings were required due to the high cost of the land in the city center. To solve these problems concrete was used in the foundation and glass, iron for lighter structures and elevators to make buildings higher.The first skyscrapers were built using these materials and the most famous ones were built in USA by Burnham and Louis Sullivan. 3.- Architecture in Europe. Modernism In Europe the new materials and constructive trends were introduced by the universal exhibitions and a famous structure from these times was the Eiffel Tower for the Universal Exhibition of 1889.Modernism was another style which emerged in Europe between 1890 and 1910 characterised by the idea of connecting useful objects with art. New materials were used in order to reach attractive forms. Undulating and asymmetric shapes inspired in nature (animals, plants and waves) were used to implement this concept. Also the idea of utility and beauty in the same object was used in fa?ade decoration, interior and furniture design.Brussels and Paris had wonderful examples of modernist architecture. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download